Coin-collecting device.



J. W. LATTIG & C. L. GOODRUM.

COIN COLLECTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.25,1916.

Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

enfors:

ml -E Jacob W La/Wq Char/es L. Goodrum UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB W. LATTIG, OF GLENSIDE, PENNSYLVANIA, AND CHARLES L. GOODRUM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF' NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COIN-COLLECTING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 6, 191 '7.

Application filed April 25, 1916. Serial No. 98,384.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JACOB W. LAT'IIG, and CHARLES L. GOODRUM, citizens of the United States, residing at Glenside, in the county of Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania, and at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Collecting Devlces of which the following is a full, clear, conclse, and exact description. 1

This invention relates to a coin translating device especially applicable to telephone paystations.

In the operation of telephone pay-Sta tions it has been found that considerable 1nconveni'ence and delay has been occasioned by a subscriber not having the proper size coin charged for a given service. This has been especially true where the service has been metered out according to time units and the calling subscriber wishes to continue his establishedconnection for a longer period than that allowed for the charge made in initiating a call. It is the ob'ectv of th1s invention to eliminate this di culty by providing a coin translating device capable of translating any size coins into (301115 or tokens of a common size and retaining these coins in such a position that they may be automatically collected by a central office equipment, depending upon the class of service rendered, the unused coins-being refunded when a conversation is concluded.

In accordance with this invention there is provided a receptacle divided into compartments. In one of said compartments, means are provided for permitting the release of a given number of coins or tokens, depending upon the denomination of the inserted coin. In another compartment, means are present for arranging the coins in stacks in such a manner that they are fed by a coin carrying member into a coin magazine. The passage of the coins through this magazine is intercepted, the arrangement being such that they may be either collected or refunded.

This invention will-be particularly described and the various features thereof explained in detail by referring to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a translating device, having associated therewith the necessary apparatus to permit it to function as a tolldevice for telephone pay-stations, and Fig. 2 is a detailed View of part of the coin interlocking mechanism of the translating device shown in Fig. 1.

The coin-translating device shown in the drawing comprises a cylindrical casing 1 having a base member 2, the interior of said casing being divided into an upper and lower compartment by means of a partitioning memiber 3. J ournaled in the base 2 and partitioning member 3 is a shaft-4, carrying at its upper end a conical shaped drum 5. Secured near the lower end of the, shaft 4 is a ratchet 6, and attached to a post set in the partitioning member 3 is a spiral spring 7, having its other end secured to said shaft. Staggeredly mounted upon the surface of the drum 5 are a plurality of pins 8 having their respective positions determined by the size of the coin they are intended to engage. On the top of the casing 1 is a knurled nut 9 having a reduced portion, which projects through an aperture in said casing and has secured thereto a circular disk 10. The disk 10 carries a coin chute 11 formed of a pair of wing members bent at right angles to the surface of said disk. A normal stop pin 12 functions to place the chute 11 in alinement with a slot 13 made in the casing l, which slot is large enough to accommodate any size coin.

Located in the lower compartment just above the base 2 and loosely mounted upon shaft 4, is a coin-carrying disk 14 provided with a plurality of concentrically arranged circular apertures 15. The apertures 15 are of a size suitable to accommodate a five-cent piece,1 which is the usual charge for making a cal are 'a number of coin stacks 16 adapted to register with the apertures 15 during the rotation of disk 14. Cooperating with the ratchet 6 is a pawl 17 carried by the disk 14, the function of which will hereinafter be explained. An aperture 18 made in the base 2, corresponding in size and radial dis- Mounted above the carrier disk 14 tance from the shaft 4 to that of the apertures 15, permits coins to be fed into a magazine 29 as the coin-carrying disk 14 is rotated. A cash box 19 is attached to one side of a casing 1 and has communication therewith by means of a slot through which the inserted coins are caused to fall, as will hereinafter be set forth. Immediately in front of the opening into the cash box 19 is a bell crank lever 20 pivotally mounted in the base 3, having one of its ends bifurcated in such a manner as to constitute a 'pawl 21, and a stop pin 22, both of which elements control the movement of the drum 5, as will hereinafter be more fully explained.

The long arm; 23 of the lever 20 is actuated by the weight of a coin falling into the till 19. A spring member 24 engaging a pin carried by the lever 20, maintains said lever in either of its actuated positions. In order to restore the lever 20 to its normal position after having been actuated by the weight of a coin, a wedge-shaped projection or lug 46 is provided on the drum. 5, this lug being-so located as to engage the stop pin 22 upon the drum being returned to its initial position, and thereby cause the restoring of lever 20 against the pressure of the spring 24. v

It has been preferred to illustrate the device contemplated by this invention used in connection with an automatic telephone system but with. slight modifications apparent to those skilled in the art, it may be readily operated'with a manual system.

The circuit arrangement for operating the apparatus shown in thelower half of Fig. 1 is fully described in a pending application of ours, Serial No. 52,512, filed September 24, 1915, and only sufiicient' description thereof will be included herein to illustrate its principle of operation. A polarized relay 25 is connected in bridge of the subscribers line circuit upon the removal of his telephone from the switch-hook. The relay 25 controls an armature 26 which normally occupies a neutral position, and controls two sets of contact spring members 27 and 28. These contact members govern the talking circuit of the substation. Carried upon one end of the armature 26 is a pair of pin members 30 and 31, which control the disposition of coins in their passage through the magazine 29. The contact springs 28 are normally closed and the contact springs 27 are normally open but are adapted to be closed by a coin after the operation of the electromagnet 25.

The operation of the apparatus described above is as follows: Assume that a twentyfive cent piece has been inserted into a slot 13. It Wlll be retained in a given position by the chute l1, and, by turning the nut 9, the disk 10 will be rotated in a clockwise direction until the periphery of the coin engages one of the pins 8, which, as stated before, will be individual to the res ective coins of various denominations. .By t e coin engaging the pin 8, a locking means is formed for rotating the drum 5, which may now be advanced by continuing the rotation of the nut 9. It may be mentioned here that the drum 5 will be prevented from returning to normal position until it has reached the limit of its travel, because of the pawl 21 engaging the teeth formed on the lower periphery of said drum. This feature eliminates the possibility of' fraud which might otherwise be practised as will be apparent hereinafter. When the drum 5 has been rotated sufliciently to bring the deposited coin in front of the opening into the coin box 19, it will fall therein, thus releasing said drum and allowing it to restore to normal position under the tension of the spring 7. It will be noted that during the rotation of the drum 5, the pawl 17 engaging the ratchet 6 caused the corn-carrying disk 14 to be rotated a distance equal to the travel of the drum 5 in a clockwise direction. As the disk 14 was rotated, the coins held in the apertures 15, as they passed the aperture 18 in the base, fell through said aperture into the magazine 29. In this instance five coins will have been deposited in the magazine 29. The passage of the coins through the magazine 29 is arrested by the lowermost one engaging a lever 32 controlled by the switchhook, and the pin member 30. As the circuit at this time is closed through the contact members 28, the subscriber may call central through the closure of the following circuit: linewire 33, conductor 34, spring members 28, conductor 35, transmitter 36, conductor 37 contact 38 of the switchhook, conductor 39, line wire 40. After the subscriber has dialed his number and the called party answered, battery of a given polarity will flow back over the circuit just described, which will actuate the electromagnet 25. The polarity of this battery will be such that the armature 26 will be operated in a manner to separate the contact springs 28, thereby breaking the circuit of transmitter 36. It will be seen that if no coin had been deposited up to this time, it would be impossible for the calling subscriber to converse with the called party, as the contact spring members 27 normally stand open. However, since the contact springs 27 are closed by the deposit of a coin, a talking circuit is established which may be traced as follows: line wire 33, conductors 34, 41, contact members 27, through the transmitter 36, conductor 37, contact member 38, conductor 39, line wire 40.

The two subscribers may now converse until the lapse of a given time unit. when there will be an interruption of the current used to actuate the electromagnet 25 as contemplated by the apparatus described in the above mentioned pending application. This interruption of current will be of short duration and will permit the armature 26 to return to neutral position under the tension of the springs 28, thereby effecting the release of the lowermost one of the coins from the position shown, thus permitting the separation of the contact springs 27. Now, if further conversation is desired, it will be necessary to deposit a second coin to reestablish the transmission circuit, since the battery originally applied to operate the electromagnet 25 will again be connected to the line wires, thereby effecting the separation of the contact springs 28 by maintaining said magnet energized until the lapse of another time unit. Upon the assumption made, another coin would have descended to the position of that occupied by the first coin and automatically closed the contact mem bers 27 without any serious interruption to the conversation. After the lapse of a sec- 0nd unit, another interruption of the polarized current will occur in a manner similar to the first interruption, which will again permit the release of the armature 26, thus collecting the second coin deposited. In this manner any number of coins may be collected automatically at the expiration of the predetermined service units of time, until the conversing parties have completed their conversation or the original supply of coins has been exhausted.

In the event that the parties had finished their conversation without exhausting the five coins originally deposited, the unused coins would be refunded when the receiver was restored to the switchhook, by means of the latter actuating the lever 32, thus removing the obstruction in the refund channel. It Will be noticed that if the calling party had failed in establishing his connection, the

pin member 30 would have arrested the coins in such a position that they would be refunded upon the replacement of the receiver. By this means the calling party is assured that in the event that he cannot communicate with the party wanted, his money will be refunded.

From the abdve it will be apparent that by the coin-translating device contemplated by this invention, many of the irritations and inconveniences experienced by persons wishing to use pay stations will be eliminated. While the preferred embodiment of this invention has been particularly described in connection with an automatic system it is not intended to be limited to the precisedetails of construction and circuit arran ements illustrated, as changes ma readily e made without departing from t e spirit of this invention. For example, it is obvious that the coin-translating device is a self-contained unit and may beused independently as a change-making device. Also, that in the place of using coins the size of a five cent piece, any size coin or an equivalent token, such as slugs, etc., may be used.

What is claimed is:

1. A coin handling device comprising a rotatable member, means rendered effective by the deposit of a coin whereby said rotatable member may be rotated, said means being variably operated by the deposit of coins of varying sizes, a reservoir adapted to contain coins of a common size, and means 0perated in response to the rotation of said rotatable member to release from said reservoir a number of such coins of common size equal in value to the coin deposited.

2. A coin handling device comprising means variably operated by the deposit of coins of varying sizes, a coin carrying disk having apertures concentrically arran ed therein, coin stacks containing coins 0% a common size mounted over the apertures of said disk, and means operated by said first mentioned means to rotate said coin carrying disk whereby a number of such coins of common size equal in value to the coin deposited are released from said stacks.

3. A coin handling device comprising a rotatable member, means rendered efiective by thedeposit of a coin whereby said rotatable member may be rotated, said means'being variably operated by the deposit of 001118 of varying sizes, a coin carrying disk having apertures concentrically arranged therein, coin stacks containing coins of a common size mounted over. the apertures of said .disk, and means operated in response to the operation of said first mentioned means to rotate said coin carrying disk whereby a number of such coins of a common size equal in value to the coin deposited are released from said stacks.

4. A coin handling device comprising a receptacle divided into compartments, a rotatable member in one of said compartments, means rendered effective by the deposit of a coin whereby said rotatable member may be rotated, said means being variably operated by the deposit of coins of varying sizes, a coin carrying disk having a ertures concentrically arranged therein, com stacks mounted over the apertures of said disk, a base member provided with an aperture arranged to register with the apertures in' said disk and a ratchet mechanism actuated by said rotatable member to rotate said disk whereupon coins are removed from said coin stacks and expelled through the aperture in said base member. v

5. A coin handling device comprising means rendered efiectiveby the deposit of a coin, said means including a conical member having'pins projecting therefrom at different heights, whereby coins of varying sizes may cause a variable operation of said means, a reservoir adapted to contain coins of a common size, and means operated in response to the operation of said first mentioned means to release from sa d reservolr a number of such coins of common size equal in value to the coin deposited.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 22nd day of April, A. D. 1916.

JACOB W. LATTIG. In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 7th day of April, A. D. 1916.

CHARLES L. GGODRUM. 

